Sky high fun for all at Kite Day

Kites of all shapes and sizes will once again take to the skies over New Brighton on Saturday 4 February.

The annual Kite Day event attracts kite flyers, both professional and amateur, to the seaside suburb for a day of spectacular, sky high displays.  

Julie Adam, a Kite Day veteran and lifelong kite enthusiast, says the event is a great day out for the whole community.

“This is a great event for families, and is enjoyed by people of all ages. We see lots of grown-ups flying kites, as well as children. Some flyers are over 80 and bringing along two or three generations to play with them.”

“Everywhere I look on the beach, I see people with big smiles – it’s another of the things I love about Kite Day,” says Ms Adam.

The free annual event is expected to draw thousands to New Brighton Beach, from 11am – 3pm on Saturday 4 February.

“Kite Day at New Brighton Beach is really special, in that people are flying their own kites amongst the display kites. The views from the pier or the raised promenade by the library building are spectacular,” says Ms Adam.

Also known as ‘the kite lady, Ms Adam runs a series of kite making workshops around the country, and plans to fly a number of special kites at the upcoming event. This includes two kite arches – 30 kites linked together and pegged down at each end, and a number of inflatable kites.

“The inflatable kites are stable and easier for me to manage at the beach when it’s busy. They include a sting ray, cuttlefish, octopus – with “sky junk” on their lines – twisting things, a snake eating its tail, a baby dragon,” she says.

Ms Adam encourages everyone to give kite flying a go, saying there’s a lot the hobby has to offer.

“I love the connection with nature – the wind and the sun, in lovely beaches and parks around our gorgeous country. I get to meet people, because if I put a kite up, people come and tell me their kite stories – and people have great stories,” says Ms Adam.

Kite Day rounds out the Council’s summer events programme, which also includes the Christmas Family Festival, NYE22, Sparks, Summer Sundays, Anthony Harper Summer Theatre. 

Learn more about Kite Day and all summer events on What’s On.